The SIU School of Law has been accused of unfair hiring practices of minorities in a complaint filed in federal court against the SIU School of Law last month by one of the school’s professors. However, two other officials at the University are denying the accusations.

According to Darrell Dunham’s complaint, the SIU School of Law Appointments Committee refused to grant 30-minute screening interviews to minority applicants randomly chosen and submitted by Dunham from a nationwide listing of potential applicants.

The complaint stated that from 1990 until the present, the SIU School of Law has demonstrated a pattern and practice of refusing to hire or consider for employment minority candidates of Asian, American Indian, Alaskan Native and Hispanic race.

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The complaint states that the Plaintiff has been denied interaction with different racial groups.

In 1993, Dunham filed a grievance similar to the newly filed lawsuit with SIUC’s Judicial Review Board.

The Judicial Review Board made a specific finding that the hiring procedures were seriously flawed at all levels, Dunham said. I don’t think it (placing the lawsuit) would have been necessary if SIU would have abided by the recommendation from the grievance panel.

Seymour Bryson, from the SIUC Affirmative Action Office and Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, said the 1993 grievance was found to be without merit by the Judicial Review Board.

Patrick Kelley, who was on the School of Law Appointments Committee in 1994-95 and headed the Committee in 1995, said the accusations of discrimination are false.

This faculty is sensitive to diversity concerns and tries to maintain a diverse faculty consistent with the high quality and excellence on our faculty, Kelley said. We have a diverse faculty. We have Asian, African-American and Hispanic law professors.

According to the Law School’s Executive Summary Form, there are three African-Americans, two Asian-Americans and two Hispanics out of 40 faculty and staff members.

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Dunham said the Law School has not had an Asian professor since 1982.

Any employer that is not prepared for equal employment needs to be corrected, Dunham said.

Rectifying the problem is his sole purpose for the lawsuit, Dunham said.

Thomas C. Britton, acting dean of the Law School, said the school was aware of Dunham’s complaint but would not comment on it.

No date has been set for the trial.